Halfway Down the Stairs

Tuesday, August 29, 2006

Oh Dear, I have been missing for a few days, haven't I?

School starts next Tuesday and my boys are starting two new schools. Intermediate School and High School. Our days have been full of taking care of Mom, getting prepared for school, last minute doctor appointments, hair appointments and music lessons. Tomorrow is High School Orientation. 14 yo goes at 8 am and parents go at 5:30. Intermediate School Open House is Thursday morning. Did I mention Football? And Lacrosse? *sigh*

Puck's football team won their first game tonight 27-0. An auspicious beginning.

Have I mentioned that we own a stucco home built in the late 90's? In case you don't know what's happened to most (I said most, not ALL) stucco homes built in that timeperiod? Moisture intrusion due to non-compliance with building codes. I live in a typical Western Suburb community, our road is a mile long dead-end street with three culs-de-sac along the way - lined with stucco homes (I'm guessing maybe 60 homes). I am not lying when I say that almost half of us have either sued our builder, are in the process of suing our builder, or are just beginning the process of suing our builder (we're all using the same attorney's office - anybody need a referral?) Some of us have much more serious issues that others. We recently received our settlement so we are in the process of interviewing building contractors. What a sticky maze that is!

Anyway, that was a long detour but the nut of it is, I also have appointments with contractors this week. I loathe meeting with contractors, 50% of them treat me like "the little lady" and they make me want to scream. I am not stupid because I don't speak "builder". If you take a little time to speak in plain english, I understand very clearly!!

DH and DumDog fishing in the evening.

However, mom has gone home to her own little nest. Still mostly in bed, but able to take care of herself with a little help from daughters and neighbors (good neighbors - thank you!!) We will have one final weekend at the cabin before all-out school starts, and that is good. Pinot and fish fry and beer and bruschetta. A little knitting for the road? Sound good to anyone else? See you there!

Friday, August 25, 2006

FUNKY SCARF HAS LEFT THE NEEDLES!I am actually crocheting the edging on the Ingenue - although I may skip the picot except for around the neck.

I'm halfway through another warshrag and parts of a debbie bliss cardi are pinned out to be blocked. I hate seaming so much I finished these parts last winter and folded them away in a basket. With new resolve I have taken the pieces out to block and I WILL seam them soon! I knitted it up in a pale ballerina pink. Pictures to follow.

WARNING: RANT AHEAD!Mom had a rough day - she got nicotine poisoning from the nicotine patches she was wearing because she cannot smoke right now. Good time to quit, you would think, right? Well, the patch made her desperately sick, dizzy and disoriented; she got all panic-y and anxious. The doctor's office was NO HELP AT ALL! Seriously, it took them two and half hours to call me back. When they did call me back, the doctor (who is not my mom's doctor) had focused on something else and didn't even address the reason I had called. So, they were supposed to call me back, about the nicotine poisoning, and not a word. Idiots. Park Nicollet is trying so hard to cut inefficiences and make more money that they have completely forgotten their mission to take care of the patient. You never actually talk to a doctor, or even a nurse. A Department Assistant takes your message and passes it on to a doctor, who responds to phone calls in between appointments. In turn, the Department Assistant returns your phone call and relays the doctors response. So because I never actually spoke to a doctor or nurse, my poor mom's concerns were never actually addressed. Our medical system is seriously messed up.

RANT OVER

So, as you can see, stress causes me to knit, obsessively.Happy weekend all!

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Halfway House for Holes in the Back!We are having healing success here. There is still much pain, but things are moving along and mom is beginning to feel better. Thanks for kind wishes.

HEY! It's knitting content!! This is the yummy yarn finally photographed. I don't know if you can see it, but it's got little bits of glittery strands, otherwise, it is very richly colored. It will be something for mom, but it still does not know what to be...Wool in the Woods - 81% Merino/17%Mohair/2% PolyesterColor: Uptown200 yards18sts/24 rows to 4" on US 8 needle

There is a scarf on the pins for the Funky Scarf Swap, but I'm not showing it yet!

In the meantime, my TV viewing project:

My first little Sugar'n'Cream warshrag. I've got skeins for two more - I love the colors and they knit up so quickly.

No, I still haven't crocheted that edging on the Ingenue. This weekend I hope to finish that off.

DH and kids are off for the weekend to the cabin. We are having major storms right now - which is not a bad thing - but I actually had to buy an umbrella today!

Tuesday, August 22, 2006

Hospital Week.My mom? My mom has a hole in her back. They strapped her to a table with tape and flipped her over and made a hole in her back. They did it to fix her, but still, MY MOM HAS A HOLE IN HER BACK.

Mom is 68 and her lower lumbar disk was squeezing her spinal cord. When that happens your leg gets numb, and well, leg just stops working. Things get worse from there - usually leading to assisted living. So the "Git 'er done" doc from Texas opened up her back and chiseled off some spiney bone from the spinal cord canal to make room for that pinchy nerve. (Sorry for the non-technical terminology.) After much morphine and face-making, mom woke up this morning and gleefully waggled her legs in the air, despite the ouchy hole in her back. She is quickly becoming the impatient cantankerous mom we all know and love and not the mopey depressed mom she's been 'cause the pegs were NOT WORKING because of the pinchy nerve! Yay "Git 'er done" doc from Texas! You will get Valentines from all of us!

(Although mom REALLY wanted to go the State Fair and drive a Rascal around, but then, who doesn't?)

Not so much loving the daytime nursing staff at the hospital. Hiss to you!! Messy, forgetful, not really caring much, nursing staff. Seriously, they just throw medicine wrappers around and leave them there. Old napkins? They go on the floor. The bathroom door? Blood on it. For two days. If NOT blood? EEWWWW! Nightime staff? Sweet, cuddly, teddy bear people who show much love and consideration for their patients. We like you nice people who let the patients sleep quietly. Even though the 90 year old lady across the hall would really like to "Talk to somebody...." She really would. She says it over and over and over and over.

I'm not sure if the stressful week ends or begins on Thursday when they are cutting her loose. She will be coming to stay at my house until she can stand it no more. Wish me strength. Strength and daisies. Mom likes daisies.

Sunday, August 20, 2006

How about a Sunday Book List?(Since I didn't get that yummy yarn photographed like I promised...)

45. Love Rosie by Cecilia Ashern (2/25/06)I HATED PS I love you, and frankly, this one wore at my patience a bit. Her heroines are THICK! In the sense that they never seem to gain a clue. However, this was easier to read than PS I love you. I could literally skim pages of her writing and still “get” the idea of what was going on. "Blah, blah, blahhedy-blah, I’ve always loved you but would never say it because you might not love me BLAH!" How long does it take a real person to figure things out? Hopefully not until they are old and past the age of having kids together for cripes sake!

44. The Witch of Cologne by Tobsha Learner (3/4/06)I never do this - but - I read the end before I finished this book. I couldn’t stand that this couple had escaped the Inquisition, (you never EXPECT the Spanish Inquisition! - yes I was that nerd.), Only to be tricked into their own end by the same man they had originally escaped. However, the way she took us to their ending - yah - okay. Karma stinks. They could have achieved the same story without the Khaballa magic, I don’t think the creepiness it added was necessary. Wasn’t the Spanish Inquisition evil enough without it?

43. The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (3/11/06)Yes, I know this is a classic. Yes, I have read it before. Nope - I didn't remember it, at all. She makes me feel a little Jane Austen-y, so I have to love it.

42. Sir Thursday by Garth Nix (3/18/06)What can I say - I love me some Garth Nix. From the Abhorsen series to the Dark Tower to the Days series. They are scarily dark, and my 13-year-old won’t read them. I LOVE them. I gobbled this up in 24 hours. I buy these in hardback and they are a guilty pleasure. I want a best friend named Suzy Blue who can steal paper wings and make us FLY!

Saturday, August 19, 2006

Saturday Skieswere gorgeous today. As a matter of fact, I had to get into the old Jeep Wrangler (top down) and drive around town today, hmm to Knit Wits and to Yarnzilla (which I didn't realize was closed - sigh), oh and to Michael's for a couple balls of Sugar n Cream 'cuz my little sis would like some warshrags. I got a good start on Funky Scarf today, no pics 'cuz shhhh! it's a surprise. This is my first swap and so far it's been really fun. I can't think of a better day, driving around in the open air with no specified destination, stopping at whatever knitting store took my fancy!

I also need to crochet a picot edge around my ingenue. Grrr. I cannot crochet to save my life. I also need to buy a crochet hook in a size that works. So THAT's not happening today. So for the rest of the weekend I'm stuck with warshrags and scarves.

I did buy some yummy yarn today - I'll nab some pictures tomorrow. Mum's going in the hospital to have a lower lumbar laminectomy on Monday and I thought it would be nice to have a little knitting project for the waiting room, and knit up a pretty, snuggly scarf for her in the meantime. So I am going to have an invalid houseguest next week, she can't stay home alone and we're the only ones with a first floor bedroom (no stairs for her for two weeks). Lots of crossed fingers with sis and myself. We will be stocking a supply of nicotine patches because mum has never been able to quit smoking, and there is no smoking inside of our home (asthma kids). Here's hoping mom is able to stay away from the knives when she starts having her nicotine fits.

Oh, and I want to share my little friend with you. How adorable is this little guy? As long as he stays out of my garage!

Friday, August 18, 2006

For my Funky Scarf Swap SP:If you go back in my blog archive to July you will see some of my most recent projects. I really like to knit the felted purses. Last Christmas I knitted SIX ponchos for nieces and neighbor-friend's daughters - the first two were fun. My to-knit list has one lace scarf on it, a couple of tank/sweaters, a few winter snuggly sweaters, a shrug or two...oh dear. Too much, but does that help?

Thursday, August 17, 2006

Just to clarify...the class schedule in the previous post, our high school combines English and History/Geography into one credit block. The kids have the class for the whole year and switch off subjects every other day. Goofy, I know, but the teachers swear by it. (Because of the 70 minute classes and the quarter set up, the kids cover a year's worth of subject matter in 2 quarters.)

What I really want to share is the Ingenue I am very close to finished with this - just the front straps and then the crochet trim. You can see the back straps are complete. The color on the left is a little bit more true to the actual color. This yarn is so soft and lovely I bury my face in it at least once a day.

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

How can something so simple as High School registration make you crazy? The 14 year old signed up for Japanese (the language) (he's going to be a Freshman), and they've quit offering the class, so instead he got Health and a Study Hour for first quarter. So his schedule isFirst Half of First Hour - BandSecond Half of First Hour - Study HallSecond Hour - Study HallThird Hour - HealthFourth Hour - English/Geography

I ask you, what kind of a schedule is that? (Our High School offers 70 minute classes and four quarters). Second quarter is not much better, instead of study hall he's got Phy Ed, and instead of Health he's got Computer Tech. In contrast his third and fourth quarter consist of:First Half of First Hour - BandSecond Half of First Hour - Study HallSecond Hour - Enriched ScienceThird Hour - Enriched GeometryFourth Hour - English/Geography(Enriched classes promise an hour of homework per night as does the Eng./Geo combination class).

Tell me how that balances out with an ADD boy? GRRRRR.

So we filled out a drop/add form, but you don't actually get to speak to a counselor, we had to write a note asking them to balance out his schedule. Then, he wants to take American Sign Language as his language choice, so we try to add that, but come to do some research, and a lot of colleges do not accept ASL as a second language credit for acceptance purposes. I ask you, HOW are we supposed to plan this out? To top it off, they are giving notice that class availability is limited so they will do very little schedule changing. The more I think about it, the more I believe I will be telephoning a counselor tomorrow. Of course, they have also given us notice that they will make NO schedule changes over the phone.

I know, I know cry me a river, right?But, but....he...I...(splutter)..it shouldn't BE like this!

Monday, August 14, 2006

Just a quickie to post the answers for the Funky Scarf Swap - I am pretty darn boring, but here it is:

Let's get the allergy part out of the way. Are you allergic to any fibers?No allergies for me!

Do you prefer any fibers over others?I am all about the texture, no favorites, but I love to scrunch and sniff and fondle my yarns.

Thinking back to Scout's post about what funky means to you, post an image of sumething that you think is funky! I have been thinking about this for days, but then I realized that Scout did it for me - this is funky (to me).Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern?I don't have a preference for either one, as long as they are not combined in one project.

What is your favorite piece of art?Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh:What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face? Baby yellow or mint green

Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl? A scarf, because cowls have that static/hair factor that can be quite horrifying.When you wear a scarf, do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf? Whatever is proportional to the materials you are using.

What is the climate like where you live? Mid-November until early March we live in the frozen tundra. Skin cracks, cuticles self destruct, hair flies into static dandelion puffs, humidifiers rule!

Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe? Warm would be good.

What else would you like your partner to know about you? Oh my goodness, I hardly know what to tell her/him.

Sunday, August 13, 2006

The Heart Scarf is blocked and ready to go, see: Pink Lemonade 100% merino - isn't it lovely?Neighbor Lady came home today, and now is just waiting to see how far the nasty C has spread.

How late do you think seven ten-year-olds can stay up watching "Creature Feature" Movies?

My guess was 1:00 am when I went to bed thinking things were winding down. That was until 4:30, when after three and a half hours the bass thumping of the surround sound woke me from a sound sleep. I went downstairs to find seven little heathens watching The Mummy, and playing pool with all the lights on and none of them (save one) had even been to sleep. I blew a gasket and immediately turned the lights and the television off. The funniest thing was how quickly they all fell asleep - not ten minutes after I left the basement. I can only imagine how they were fighting off the ZZZ's until 4:30! Then after that - they were up by 8:30! Luckily, they were all dispersed to their homes, thankfully, by 10:00 am.Meet Puck, really posing with his new bike this time. He looks like he could cause a little trouble, doesn't he.

Tomorrow: progress on the Ingenue; if I don't go insane trying to meet all the appointments.

Saturday, August 12, 2006

It's a beautiful day for a 10 year-old's birthday party. Puck was up at 8:00 am this morning, and he played football for two hours already - I haven't seen him since he left the house at 8:30 this morning with a neighbor. I'm hoping he'll come in for a breather (or at least a shower) before his guests arrive at 6:00.

Working furiously last night on my gift for neighbor lady. She had her surgery yesterday and was in for four hours. I do not know if that is long or short. They believe that the cancer has spread to her lymph nodes, which I know is bad. She's supposed to come home tomorrow. Does anyone know what typically happens next in this scenario? I'd love to know. How soon should I call, or be on her doorstep? Currently we have one neighbor that has been communicating with us all.

Lastly, my little Nantasket Basket, so cute. It took two days to knit and felt - the pattern and yarn was from Knitpicks - very inexpensive.

I should be blocking my Heart scarf tomorrow. I stopped at KnitWits and picked up the new IK so I am indulging in magazines this morning.

Friday, August 11, 2006

I'm so busy knitting, I'm just going to give you a few books. I've got about 1/3 of the Alchemy Ingenue left and I started the Knitty Heart scarf for my neighbor lady (out of the softest merino in a color called pink lemonade). Oh, I've finished that Nantasket Basket - I totally forgot to take a picture! I guess I'll have some pics for later.

A few more from the books read list:

48. Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman by Pamela Aidan (2/4/06)Oh hell, I will ready ANYTHING if you tell me it has Fitzwilliam Darcy in it, for I have a vivid imagination and I will always picture Colin Firth frowning around and jumping into ponds and trying not to grab Lizzie and JUST MAKE OUT . . . Sorry, I’m a little warm - and you? Where was I? Oh yea, sorry, Pride and Prejudice - my own little mind candy, in any form I can get it.

47. Cell by Stephen King (2/11/06)I heart Stephen King because he gets our “pop” culture. He may be a smug gnome, but he can write our world and then pick out the creepiest, ickiest thought out of our collective nightmares and lay it out on the page in words that anyone can understand and that is why he sells so many books. This may be brain “crack” for the working man, but is there something wrong with a book you can read that let’s the old thinking machine relax a little?

46. Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (2/18/06)Okay, halfway into this book I really started to love the snake. Both of an angel and the devil seemed to be written as gay as the day is long - but I like that in a moralistic tale. Even better in a story that is so completely tongue in cheek (how the hell do you spell tongue anyway?) This story was so incredibly clever, I could read this one a couple times over. I might actually take the time to laugh the second time around. I was too busy nodding my head emphatically the first time.

Crazy day tomorrow - 5th grade football evaluations in EP, then we have a birthday sleepover with seven ten-year-old boys. (Yes, I AM crazy) And the fourteen-year-old is coming home from Band Camp tomorrow afternoon.

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Good Day.

I woke up with intentions of reading and knitting and relaxing today. Instead, I called contractors and painters and looked at bids and had no fun at all. Soon I will be in the midst of an unclad previously stucco home because we have water intrusion issues and a house that was not built to code. I cringe when I think of losing the peace and quiet of my house to construction.

Mom is having surgery next Monday (the 21st of August). A lumbar laminectomy and she lives by herself, so she's coming to stay with us until she's ready to go home. Must be my house because we have a first floor master bedroom. I wouldn't have it any other way, but I stress myself. I need the needles to calm myself (ha!), I sound like an addict.

Methusalah cat and dopey lab wanted to introduce themselves. They are sad because they currently have nothing to model for you - I will be knitting some scarves soon so they will return to prove their divahood.

Here is methusalah cat - she is 18 years old - I think she carries her age well:

And this is Dopey Lab - he is actually quite wonderful, for a dog.

Did I mention that Puck got a new bike for his birthday? Here is his way of modeling:

I have a few skeins of yarn leftover from my Clapotis down below, if anyone is interested in them, please e-mail me. Three skeins Noblesse Delave 109 yards each 50 gram skein. 18 st/4 inches on a 5.5 needle:

Monday, August 07, 2006

Have I mentioned yet that I am a list-writer? Also, that I am a voracious reader? (Seriously, I read in the mornings while I am drying my hair, I ALWAYS have a book on the treadmill, I fall asleep each night with a book on my chest, I will sometimes knit while I read.) At the beginning of this year, I decided that I was going to try to read a book a week. In order to track this goal I was going to keep a LIST! On this list I was going to record the book title and author, the date I finished reading it, and a short "blurb" of my general feeling towards the book. I started counting at 52 going backwards. As of August 3, I am down to book number 14! If I continue at this pace, I will finish at 59 books for the year. I am not counting books on tape that I listen to during my morning walks either.

To give a little variety to my posts, I am going to share my list with you - two to three books at a time. I hope no one takes offense at honest opinions - we all have them and are all entitled to them. Vive la difference! Without any more fuss, here are books 52 to 49:

52. The Ghost of Hannah Mendes by Naomi Ragen (1/7/06)Catherine da Costa, the last in a long line of Jewish woman maintaining her faith and her heritage, has just been informed she has six months (at the outside) to live. The conviction comes crashing home to her that she has not passed on the importance of her family heritage. A great grand ghost comes to her to inspire her to hand down the family history to Catherine’s two granddaughter, Francesca and Suzanne. Thus the three women embark on a multi-continental journey to find their family’s past, in the form of ancient manuscripts, accompanied by the ghost of their ancestors.

I loved the story when it flashed to the past and told the historical parts of the story. The painful history of the Jew race - so heartrending. In contrast the modern parts of the story felt almost bodice-ripper in style and content. Nonetheless, I was anxious to reach the conclusion to discover if Francesca and Suzanne actually wound up with their men.

51. Something Rotten by Jasper Fforde (1/14/06)This is the fourth in a series about Jurisfiction officer Thursday Next, her sometimes nonexistent husband, Landon, and their son Friday. She has adventures in and out of the fictional world. Jasper Fforde’s writing is very clever in how he pulls characters out of classic fiction. Emma Hamilton and Hamlet have a torrid affair.

This book, while still very entertaining, felt like Mr. Fforde was pulling his last writing muscle to wrap this story up. It felt as is he had moved on and was pulling Thursday and her world along with him.

50. Resistance by Anna Shreve (1/21/06)I can count rereads can’t I? (I was halfway into this book when I realized I had read it already, but I couldn't remember how it ended, so I decided it should count.)

49. State of Fear by Michael Crichton (1/28/06)I can’t remember what I was supposed to be “afeared” of. Oh yea, the media, it sucks. Don’t believe anything anybody tells you, except Michael Crichton, he tells the troooooth. Very, very, very preachy and I felt like Michael Crichton had a HUGE hidden agenda of his own. Bleah.

Sunday, August 06, 2006

I tried to post on Wednesday night before we left for a long weekend at the cabin, but blogger did not want me to post - so here I am. We had a very relaxing birthday weekend for my 10-year old, and then I spent Sunday morning rushing home to get the 14-year old on the bus for band camp. A familiar tune to all you SAHM's - hurry up and get to one place to you can take your child to another place.

Let's see if I can show you what I had up my sleeve on Wednesday night...oh yea, I was going to say - I was heading to a weekend of this:And of course, weather permitting, this:

Frankly, there was very little of this:

However, now that I am home and the house is nicely breeze-cooled, I managed to pick up 200 stitches and knit three inches in stockinette while I watched Big Brother. I may have to stop watching it however, because they are all idiots (my personal opinion - that's all).

On a sobering side note - my SIL was stung by a wasp this weekend and had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. She has never had such a severe reaction before, but these things can worsen with time and repetition (allergic reactions). She now carries an Epipen. Her partner of 20+ years passed away five years ago from an insect sting - he died for the want of an Epipen. Needless to say, this episode scared the pants off of everyone involved. She came home later that evening, wiped out, but recovered from the insect sting. In the meantime, her boyfriend (after age 50, do they become manfriend?), had eliminated THREE wasp nests around their home.

Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Puck took off (yes, hair on fire), before I could get a photo of the new wheels. Something about ten year old boys and moving objects. He doesn't stop until he meets that immoveable object (his bed), at the end of the day.

Not much knitting today for me. I've got to deliver a cabin key to Mom. She and her BFF from high school are staying at our place in Wisconsin next week. They will be kickin' it old school, literally!

Tonight, DH is having a little Poker Party (so I actually will get some knitting in, because there is no sleeping happening during these events).

Thanks to Knittymama for the suggestions for my neighbor. I do believe my stash can more than cover anything I might come up with for her.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

I have a neighbor. She is a lovely lady with whom I am not VERY well acquainted. However, we wave at each other when we drive down the street. We chat happily at all of the neighborhood ladies functions, every Pampered Chef or cABI party we have a glass of wine together. We chat about taking care of our aging parents. We chat about husbands who travel too much. We talk about who's well and who's sick in our families. You KNOW what I mean? Not long ago this neighbor found a lump. Her lump was not benign and next week she is having a double mastectomy. We neighbor ladies are putting together a book with restaurant gift certificates in it for meals - we are putting our telephone numbers in the book so neighbor lady can call us if she is in need.

This feels like it needs more. Personally, from me. As I said, she and I are not well-acquainted, but this does not feel like enough. I have been blessed not to have much experience with breast cancer, but I know this knitting community as a whole, does. Tell me, what more can I offer this neighbor friend? For once, I would like to have had more than just good intentions.

It has been raining all day and my house is finally under one hundred grillion degrees. There will finally be some sound sleeping in my house.

Tonight we bought our youngest his birthday present (he'll be ten on Sunday) - I'm going to call him Puck because the coaches at Lacrosse named him that for his hockey gear - and it just suits him....ANYWAY...Puck got a new bike tonight from Bokoo Bikes in Chanhassen. Anyone else know what's situated across the street from Bokoo Bikes? I think you all know - and Knit Wit's is still in the midst of their big old sale. Did I show you what I bought there last Friday? My stash runneth over. That's Malabrigo - 25 percent off!! Marrongon and Glazed Carrot - isn't it yummy? Oh, and that's not all I bought - but no photos of the other stuff yet - and I've got to say - I had complete strangers egging me on and I still bought less than a quarter of what they had on the counter when I cashed out!!!Also - I have been knitting this today:

The beginning of my pretty Ingenue in Alchemy - so very soft and squishy. I should be sewing the waistband together tomorrow and beginning the process of picking up 200 stitches - yikes!

And Puck? Well he got a new big bike today - I'd show you a picture but it was all dark and thundery when we got home. I'll try and get one tomorrow before he's off with his hair on fire...

And teen Dred - (he's 14 going on too cool) - he's packed the suitcase for band camp - he leaves Sunday noon for a whole week - that will make my house a little quieter!

About Me

I am a 49 year old SAHM (going on 9 years now). I have two teenagers, and a wonderful DH who underwrites this whole project************************
My childhood:
Halfway down the stairs Is a stair Where I sit. There isn't any Other stair Quite like It. I'm not at the bottom, I'm not at the top; So this is the stair Where I always Stop. Halfway up the stairs Isn't up, And isn't down. It isn't in the nursery, It isn't in the town. And all sorts of funny thoughts Run round my head: "It isn't really Anywhere! It's somewhere else Instead!" a.a. Milne